Ut-battelle, Inc.

West Virginia University

Anthony Christian Bryan

Gerald A Tuskan

Lee E Gunter

Sara S Jawdy

Jay Chieh Chen

Wellington Muchero

Xiaohan Yang

Jin-Gui Chen

Priya Ranjan

Stephen Difazio

Hao-Bo Guo

Jianjun Guo

Stephen P DiFazio

This disclosure provides genetically modified plants having desirable levels of sugar release and syringyl/guaiacyl (S/G) ratio; methods of genetically modifying plants to modulate sugar release and S/G ratio; and uses of such plants. The inventors have determined that genetic modification of a laccase gene (LAC2) from, encoded by locus Potri.008G064000 resulted in transgenictrees with changes in syringyl/guaiacyl ratios as well as altered sugar release phenotypes. Plants with altered sugar release, and S/G ratio, based on modulation of the expression or activity of the LAC2 gene, have divergent uses including pulp and paper production, and biofuel and bioproducts production.

Modulating laccase enzyme to regulate cell wall biosynthesis and recalcitrance in plants

The invention provides plants having desirable levels of sugar release and/or lignin synthesis. The invention further provides methods of selecting plants with such desirable levels of sugar release and/or lignin synthesis; methods of genetically modifying plants to modulate lignin synthesis, sugar release, and modulating phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan and flavonoid production; and uses of such plants.

Transcription factor which regulates flavonoid, phenylpropanoid, tyrosine, and tryptophan pathways

This disclosure provides plants having desirable levels of lignin synthesis, sugar release, S/G ratio, and resistance to stress and pathogens; methods of selecting plants with such desirable levels of lignin synthesis, sugar release, S/G ratio, and resistance to stress and pathogens; methods of genetically modifying plants to modulate lignin synthesis, sugar release, S/G ratio, and resistance to stress and pathogens; and uses of such plants. The inventors have determined that the expression and/or activity of POPTR_0014s08530, a gene encoding an/CtBP transcription factor, modulates lignin synthesis, sugar release, S/G ratio, and resistance to stress and pathogens in plants. Plants with lignin synthesis, sugar release, S/G ratio, and resistance to stress and pathogens, based on modulation of the expression or activity of the POPTR_0014s08530 gene, have divergent uses including pulp and paper production, and ethanol/biofuel production.

Key gene regulating plant cell wall recalcitrance

Growing community of inventors

Knoxville, TN, United States of America

Anthony Christian Bryan